For the first time in four years, Vice Golf has updated and changed its golf ball lineup. Much of the lineup will feel familiar. The PRO PLUS, PRO, TOUR, and DRIVE models have been updated, while Pro Soft has been replaced by the new Pro Air.
Throughout the new lineup, Vice has continued its commitment to providing a variety of color options, along with the signature drip and shade options.
To give you a better idea of what has changed and what golf ball is best for you, we’ll break down each version, tell you what has changed, and let you know who each ball might be for.
Vice Features and Key Changes:
If you’re unsure where to start with Vice, the company offers an online ball fitting tool. Five questions is all it takes to help narrow down the options and make a recommendation.
As a basic overview the new PRO AIR and PRO PLUS sit at the opposite ends of the spectrum. The design emphasis of the PRO PLUS design is around spin and control, while like other softer offerings, the PRO AIR is designed to launch higher with lower spin to maximum distance. The PRO model sits in between and offers balanced performance and a feel profile that sits between the other two.
A new Kil Line that takes away the squared alignment with a rounder, more elliptical shape. It may seem small, but it’s worth mentioning.
Across the lineup, it is pretty clear Vice has paid attention to the MyGolfSpy moniker of “soft is slow.” In each of their models, they’ve firmed things up just a bit to increase ball speeds.
We’ll cover those details in a bit.
As they have in the past, Vice will continue to offer bulk discount rates on the models. While the prices are already below most large brand offerings, golfers can receive discounts of up to $7 per dozen golf balls when buying five dozen or more at once.
VICE PRO PLUS
The VICE PRO PLUS is one of Vice’s most popular models and arguably their highest performer in our ball tests. Rather than reinventing the wheel, VICE made a concerted effort to make smaller improvements that would still appeal to the current golfers using the VICE PRO PLUS.
The core change in the 2024 version is mainly in the compression. Vice stiffened up the core, along with the inner and outer mantles, to help with energy transfer. The change also works to increase spin rates for short irons and wedges.
While not every golfer is going to love the firmer feel. Slower swing speed players may benefit from the increased spin rates, while faster players will benefit from the firm, multi-layer construction.
The Vice Pro Plus continues to be produced by Foremost in Taiwan and features a cast urethane cover.
The Vice Pro Plus is available in White, Drip Lime Black, Drip Navy Orange, Neon Lime, and Shade Yellow Orange.
Retail price is $39.99 before bulk discounts.
VICE PRO
The VICE PRO is the 3-piece companion product to the PRO PLUS. The goal for VICE with the PRO is to strike a perfect balance of distance and spin that will help golfers maximize their potential on the golf course.
While Vice didn’t make any wholesale changes to the Pro, it did lower the spin profile slightly to create a bit more distance off the driver and irons. As with the Pro Plus, the mantle is a touch firmer which helps to drive more speed.
While golf ball fitting is incredibly nuanced, if you prefer the performance of a tour ball but aren’t sure where to start, as the one in the middle, the Vice Pro should work for a sizeable number of golfers. Compared to the Pro Plus, the trajectory will be flatter but by no measure, low.
Like the Pro Plus, the Vice Pro is produced by Foremost and features a cast urethane cover.
The Vice Pro is available in White, Drip Lime Black, Drip Red Blue, Neon Lime, Shade Orange Red, and Drip Yellow Green.
Retail price is $39.99 before bulk discounts.
VICE PRO AIR
The most noteworthy change to the new Vice Golf ball lineup is the introduction of the PRO AIR, which replaces the Pro Soft in the lineup.
Like the Pro Soft (and Pro for that matter), the Pro Air is a 3-piece ball. Like Vice’s other premium offerings, the Pro Air is a cast urethane ball produced by Formost.
What differs from the Pro and Pro Plus is the the mantle layer. The surlyn formula has been tweaked to better pair the Pro Air’s softer core to minimize driver spin.
Vice promotes the PRO AIR as a model that can be used by all golfers as it is optimized for all swing speeds. That said, with the lower compression (Vice hasn’t deviated from the Pro Soft script), it likely not be suitable for higher swing speed players.
As a general rule, a softer ball will spin less, so likewise, golfers looking for more spin on approach and in their short game will likely be better served by the Pro or Pro Plus.
The Vice Pro Air is available in White, Drip Red Black, Neon Pink, and Neon Lime.
Retail price is $39.99 before bulk discount.
VICE TOUR
The TOUR was and is a popular model for golfers who want a good-performing golf ball at a lower price point. Where the PRO models are all priced in and around the $39 range, the TOUR comes in at under $30. Of course, with a lower price also comes some trade-offs. The most significant is that, while the TOUR is a 3-piece ball, the cover is ionomer. That said, Vice has worked to increase the performance of the TOUR by improving the 2024 version in several areas.
The newer version has increased compression compared to the 2020 VICE TOUR (speed is the theme throughout the lineup). A softer mantle provides better feedback while helping to increase durability.
Vice has positioned the Tour as being suitable for golfers of all levels – especially those looking for a more affordable option. Compression is on the firmer side – sitting between the PRO and the PRO PLUS, but Vice says the new cover, in addition to being more durable, makes the ball feel a bit softer than its high compression suggests it should.
All in all, it should prove to be a solid performer at a lower price.
The Vice Tour is available in White and gray.
Retail price is $27.99 before bulk discounts.
VICE DRIVE
Lastly, the VICE DRIVE is most budget-friendly golf ball in the Vice catalog.
The lone 2-piece offering from Vice, the DRIVE relies on a larger core to deliver distance. As is the case with nearly every 2-piece ball on the market, the cover is made from suryln.
The compression rating is on-par with the TOUR, so it’s worth noting that the DRIVE isn’t trying to compete with Supersoft, DUO, or anything else among that crowd.
The big selling point here is the price. At just $20/dozen before discounts the VICE DRIVE is one of the most affordable offerings from a credible brand.
The Vice Drive is available in White, Blue, Yellow, Pink, and Drip Petrol Blue (that sounds fun).
The Takeaway
The 2020 models performed well and were a popular choice among direct-to-consumer and Vice brand enthusiasts. With the 2024 line, Vice seeks to build on its popularity with improvements across its entire lineup, while not compromising on what consumers love about the brand.
With Vice, the color and customization options are plentiful, the prices are hard to beat (especially when buying in bulk), and the balls have shown to be strong performers.
Bottom line: if you haven’t tried Vice golf balls in the past, this may be the perfect time to see how they stack up against your gamer.
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